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Scholarships
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Top women's scholarships for you
Find scholarships for women that can help you pay for college.
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Women's scholarships
St. Catherine University Alumnae Referral Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No min. GPA Required
$600
The St. Catherine University Alumnae Referral Scholarship is a one-time award for students who receive an alum referral card from an alum of St. Catherine. A referral card must be submitted with admission application materials. Submission of test scores is optional. Applicants must submit a high school transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, and an essay or personal statement. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Heffer Family Scholarship for Women
Due: 1/31/26
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$10,000
The Heffer Family Scholarship for Women is available to first-year students with a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Students are required to have an attendance at a Scholarship Interview Day. This scholarship is awarded to female students who have a proven record of academic achievement, leadership capacity, as well as community and co-curricular involvement. Heffer Family Scholarship for Women Application required before attendance at Scholarship Interview Day. All undergraduate scholarships require full-time enrollment, are renewable for up to four years (or 120 credits) of study at Chatham University, and have a minimum GPA requirement that must be met each year. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No min. GPA Required
$5,000
Because Zonta International believes in gender equality, the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship program helps women pursue undergraduate and master's degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom. Women of any age, pursuing a business program at an accredited university/college/institute, who demonstrate outstanding potential in the field and are living or studying in a Zonta district/region, are eligible. Online students are also eligible to apply if enrolled at an accredited university/college/institute. Applicants must still be in school at the time the scholarship funds are disbursed and must not graduate before April 2025. The program operates at the Zonta club, district/region, and international levels. Each district/region may submit one applicant for consideration for an international scholarship. The five largest districts may submit a second applicant for a total of two applicants. The application process must start with a Zonta club. All application materials must be received at a Zonta club by the deadline. If you downloaded the application from the Zonta International website, you must contact a Zonta club first for deadline information. If the Zonta club contact information is not printed on the application, please locate the Zonta club nearest you by using the Club Locator, or email your name and contact information to Zonta International Headquarters. One recommendation from a faculty member in the major field of study and one recommendation from an employer, volunteer supervisor, or academic adviser must be submitted. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Zonta International Foundation for more information.
St. Catherine University Venture Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No min. GPA Required
$5,000
The St. Catherine University Venture Scholarship is awarded to students who are legal residents, not residing in Minnesota or Montana and have not graduated from a Minnesota high school. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as well. Submission of test scores is optional. Applicants must submit a high school transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, and an essay or personal statement. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
St. Catherine University DupliKate Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No min. GPA Required
$2,000
The St. Catherine University DupliKate Scholarship is open to students whose parents or grandparents graduated from St. Catherine. Submission of test scores is optional. Applicants must submit a high school transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, and an essay or personal statement. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Cargill Endowment
Due: 1/31/26
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,250
The Cargill Endowment was established in 1988 by Cargill and is available to junior or senior students majoring in agricultural business, animal science, business, or accounting. Students must have a higher-than-average GPA and demonstrate evidence of leadership by participating in extracurricular activities. The Department Chairperson selects the recipient from the eligible undergraduate students in agricultural business. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Catherine T. McNamee International Student Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No essay
No min. GPA Required
$30,000
The Catherine T. McNamee International Student Scholarship is available to bachelor's degree-seeking students enrolled full-time (12-18 credits) in the College for Women. Academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to social justice are considered in selecting the recipients. This scholarship is available for four years or until the student graduates, whichever comes first. Students who have completed their secondary school at the time of application must submit certified copies of their diploma or leaving certificate for proof of completion and a final secondary school transcript. Applicants for whom English is not their native language must provide an assessment of their English language ability. Submission of SAT/ACT scores is optional. Please visit the University's admission website for more information about the application.
St. Catherine of Alexandria Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No min. GPA Required
$36,000
The St. Catherine of Alexandria Scholarship is awarded to students based on academic achievement and potential after a complete review of the student's application for admission and supporting materials. This scholarship is renewable for up to four years. Submission of test scores is optional. Applicants must submit a high school transcript, letter(s) of recommendation, and an essay or personal statement. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Upton Scholarship
Due: 1/31/26
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$3,000
The Upton Scholarship will be awarded to students who are 25 or older. This scholarship can be combined with other merit scholarships. The scholarship may be renewable for up to three additional years for first-time freshmen or up to two additional years for transfer students. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
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What are women's scholarships?
Women's scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for women. Women's scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for women's scholarships
Before you apply for women's scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. Some common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are women's scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over scholarships for women with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find women's scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find scholarships for women.Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engine tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for women's scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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Tips for writing scholarship essays
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Find scholarship resources
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Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
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